victory garden

i have this vase that sits in my cupboard - i painted it one year as a gift for my mother for mother's day. there's a black-eyed susan on it, and the words, mothers soothe the soul's garden, in blurred black on the bottom. i've always liked the idea of a person's inner space being living and dynamic, like a bed of soil where one can plant whatever they wish.

the other night, when i was struggling with my last assignment, i started googling images that were associated with the word "victory", (yes, i was already planning my 'i did it' post), and these pictures came up.

i like vintage things (movies, clothes, wines, deco), so i was struck by the graphics on the posters and had to learn more about what 'victory gardens' actually were. according to a teeny bit of internet research, they were a project the u.s. government undertook to encourage american citizens to grow their own produce so the agricultural production could be channeled directly to the allied troops overseas.

this idea sort of seemed like a no-brainer to me, in the 'take production back into your own hands, grow your own food' sense, but i quickly took it away from its original intention and re-appropriated it as my own.

and i thought - what does my soul need to feel replenished right now? what can i give to it that would be like leaving a field fallow for 3 years? what would restore the pH balance to my inner garden? and so i planned my first day off.

after i dropped off my essay, i bought myself a coffee, went to the library and borrowed 4 children's books:
alligator pie
garbage delight
falling up
and where the sidewalk ends

...basically because my brain has been filled with gigantic amounts of "adult" books lately, but also because immersing myself in children's things reminds me how much they spark a different side of creativity, a side that still lives within me, but that i neglect from time to time.

i came home and fell asleep for a dreamless nap that lasted 4 hours. i got up and made miso soup, went to the video store and rented american beauty, and bought myself a cheap tiramisu.

i don't think i've watched american beauty since it came out in 1999, and i've wanted to since, and i was so glad i did. what an exquisitely crafted, and written script. the actors are all so incredible, the cinematography was gorgeous, and it was superb. and i knew i was doing it for just me.
(which is, of course, fine every once in a while).

by then it was 10 and i was sleepy again (i'm still a bit sick) so i just went to my bed and curled up in it and fell asleep...and i woke up sprawled out in all directions.

i have a question for you: what can you do to water your 'victory garden'? what does your soul need to feel replenished? maybe you haven't done anything you feel is particularly noteworthy today - so what? life is here, happening, and you're an intrinsic part of this life, and you should celebrate your own existence. because you're lovely, and you so deserve a gesture of appreciation from the person who knows you best.

it feels really good. wholesome. healthy. holistic. sacred.

plant something within yourself...bead a new necklace, light candles when you make supper, and watch how the shoots that are inside of you unfold, welcome the warmth of that attention...it's a beautiful thing.